Music venues & clubs – All our local tips

Partying the whole night long just beginning the week might sounds quite irreverent, but it happens every Monday in Apolo.

It’s in the tiny and fragile border that separates mainstream clubs from the underground indie scenery, but still not that spoiled though.

Apolo is one of the last icons alive in downtown Barcelona where you can ride undaunted music sessions, now that authorities consider a gambling den or lousy joint every place where you can enjoy a sip of authentic bohemian mood.

Behold… the bar prices are not that indie though. Hence its better to go to one of those bars in the Gothic Quarter offering a happy hour until 22h, stuff yourself with mojitos and then start marching in single file to Apolo around 23:30.

Try to be there before 00:00, because afterwards the line would go around the block.

Whoever want to escape from the main room psychedelic Dance-Rock sessions have an alternative at La [2] de Apolo with New Electro & Fidget House with  Hip Hop flavor.

But Apolo is not only filthy on Mondays, now a new sprout has grown from his brother in arms, the crappy Tuesdays! … more indie and Electro Pop though.

As well as the Canibal sound system on Wednesdays, Powder room on Thursdays, The Nitsa club everyday Friday and Saturday… and if a burlesque experience is what you are looking for go to Taboo at 22:00 some Thursdays and Sundays (check schedule).

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Apolo | Bars, Music | Entrance & drink before 01.00 € 10.00
Nou de la Rambla 113 | El Raval
21:00 – 06:00 daily

This place is located in an amazingly dirty and noisy street full of drunk daydreamers. But once you pass the gate you find yourself in a cosy and a little bit retro atmosphere either to eat at the restaurant, have a drink at the bar or hear good music and even dance at the lounge time.

I could not afford to have dinner there myself, but at lunch time they have a good menu at a price I would be able to pay once a month.

I personally recommend their home made desserts. Just like grandma’s!

Just when they close the kitchen, the dj session starts. It lasts until 03:00.

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Before | Bars, Music, Restaurants (lunch) | Beer € 3.50
Santa Monica 2 | El Raval | +34933013503
Mon – Wed 13:00 – 16:00, Thu – Sat 13:00 – 16:00 & 21:00 – 03:00

This is one of the few centrally located places open for live performances of emerging bands in Barcelona!

It was opened in 1992, the year of the Olympic games, big hotels and huge impersonal malls. Fortunately it was also understood that the bohemian mood was something that gave the city its popularity.

In order to play there, bands must pass the filter of the bar manager, a frenetic indie music fan who is quite aware of his roll as a gate keeper for bands that have to struggle their way into this fortified jungle of commercial mass. No wonder there was a comedian representing the country in an international music contest.

Either a jam session or a concert, there is live music every night, except for Tuesdays that now are hosting theater performances and plays!

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Big Bang Bar | Bars, Music | Concerts € 3.00
Botella street 7 | El Raval
Tue – Sun 23:00 – 03:00

If you happen to be around, take a minute to go to Carrer del Bisbe – one of those typical narrow streets of the Gothic quarter, starting at plaza nova in the cathedral avenue.

If you are lucky enough and the weather is good, you’ll find street artists at the two alleys that cross the backyard of the cathedral (Carrer de Sta Ilucia and Carrer de la Pietat).

The best time of the day to get teased by the enticing sounds of a bandoneon or a harp player, the melancholic mood of an opera or tango singer, or the infectious melodies of a flamenco guitar player is the end of the afternoon.

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Carrer del Bisbe | Music, Relaxing
Carrer del Bisbe | El Barrio Gotico
Daily

Sleep 8 hours a day, cook healthy, do the laundry, clean your house, besides working 8 hours a day, and still have a life to live … bull shit!

Unless you can find a way to make the days longer than 24 hours, there is no way to have a healthy and organized life and yet have time to live it.

So forget about everything, just work to survive and seize every moment as if it was the last, and then rest and eat healthy during the weekends.

As the Dalai Lama would say: just come to a jam session on any Tuesday in the Harlem and sing as if no one was hearing you, or come any other day to a concert and dance as if no one was watching at you, and then love as if you haven’t been hurt.

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Harlem Jazz Club | Bars, Music | Free Fri & Sa € 7.50
Comtessa de Sobradiel 8 | El Barrio Gotico
Mon – Thu 22:30 – 03:00, Fri – Sat 23:30 – 03:00

Located in the Raval, this place is the place to go if you want to listen to good music in live. Moreover they offer very different kind of concerts.

Monday : jazz concert
Tuesday : Pop/rock/blues/funk jam session
Wednesday: jazz concert
Thursday : Latin concert
Friday : Flamenco concert
Saturday : jazz, latin jazz jam session
Sunday : pop/rock/blues/ funk jam session

The place uses to be kind of crowded so I would advice you to arrive in advance. All the concerts I have been there are really great and before the concert starts, you can have a beer at the bar situated just at the entrance of the place.

The atmosphere is dynamic, overwhelming and enthusiastic. A great place to spend a great night.

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Jazz Sí | Bars, Music | Entrance € 5.00
Calle Requesens, 2 | El Raval | +34933290020
21:00 – 00:00 daily

If, like me, you really enjoy a good art exhibition and really enjoy interesting architecture then check out the CaixaForum, you’ll get to enjoy both.

The building, housing five exhibition spaces, a kids’ art workshop, 350 seat auditorium, café-restaurant and museum shop, is a former state-of- the-art textiles factory.

Based on a romantic re-invention of a medieval castle, and informed by a Utopian desire to provide an inspiring and safe working environment for its workers, when opened in 1912 local people refused to believe the building was a factory.

It only served as a factory for eight years. In 1940 the abandoned building was taken over by Franco’s police as a stables and garage.The current complex opened in 2002. Take the lift to the roof for a good view of the decorative brick, tile and ironwork.

They have a pretty good permanent collection – featuring works by artists such as Joseph Beuys, Sol Lewitt (who produced the permanent work you’ll see on the wall in the entrance) and Richard Long.

They host some some very good exhibitions here. As well as historical shows and retrospectives they also promote an interesting programme of contemporary art.

La Caixa also promotes a lively music programme. During the summer months they host excellent world music gigs in the piazza.

And, when done with wandering this inspired and inspiring building, there’s a café-restaurant which serves drinks, snacks and full blown meals. And admission is FREE.

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La CaixaForum | Art & culture, Music, Festivals & events
Avenida Marquès de Comillas 6-8 | Montjuich | +34934768600
Mon – Fri & Sun 10:00 – 20:00, Sat 10:00 – 22:00

If you are a nighthawk, just wear your pair of vintage Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers and be yourself enjoying music with personality and other fellows willing to enjoy the black gold of the night life in Barcelona, dark atmosphere, drinks at good prices and keen bartenders.

The place to meet people and have short distance chats.

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Manchester Bar | Bars, Music | Beer € 2.00
Carrer de Milans 3 | El Barrio Gotico | +34663071748
20:00 – 03:00 daily

Actually this is more a club than a cafe.

A pleasure dome filled with cheerful black music that combines elements of house, disco, funk, soul, hip-hop and rare grooves.

It has the perfect atmosphere to reach the state of being completely carried away by unreasoned passion and unrealistic expectations of blissful rapture without positive relationship growth or development between an obsessor and an object of desire with a playful behavior intended to arouse the courtship dance.

As if there were not enough doomsday parties during the week, now Marula has just come up with their “My black is beautiful”, with soulful music and FREE entrance every Sunday!

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Marula Cafe | Bars, Music | Entrance (after 02:00) € 10.00
Escudellers 49 | El Barrio Gotico
Sun – Wed 23:00 – 05:00, Fri – Sat 23:00 – 06:00

There are things that don’t depend on the eyes of the beholder. Red is red no matter who might claim it’s otherwise.

Even though music might be a little relative to one’s taste, at some point pride and prejudice should allow us to admit when good music is good, even if its techno, house or electro.

The best part is the minimal mood with which the dj starts heating engines when the hall is half empty around 1am… better if not Friday or Saturday.

Most Wednesdays they have an international dj.

In order to get in for free just go to bar Manolo on the corner to get the flyers and have a cheap beer, but be aware that the flyers are only valid until 01:30.

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Moog | Music | Entrance on Wed € 10.00
Arc del teatre 3 | El Raval
00:00 – 05:00 daily

Sssssh…maybe I shouldn’t mention it, but the Pipa Club is one of Barcelona’s best-kept secrets – a haven of calm amid the madness that can be Plaza Reial, just off Las Ramblas.

While tourists, preyed on by prowling gangs of bag-snatchers, line-up interminably for a table at one of the over-priced restaurants dotted around the square, you can take yourself off for a drink in the quirky surroundings of the HQ for Barcelona’s pipe smokers’ club, discreetly tucked away in the corner.

After you’ve found the buzzer, and walked up three flights of stairs, you’ll enter a converted apartment to find the English-style ‘Sherlock Holmes’ pub, decked with portraits, film stills and posters of the great eccentric detective, and you’ll find a small cabaret-style stage and dance space, a dining-room, a pool-table room and a members onlylounge for pipe smokers.

Wander the linking corridors and you’ll see a quirky collection of pipes in various stages of manufacture, including a pipe that once belonged to Dalí, and a collection of old tins, pots and packets of tobacco, and you’ll find a league table of local pipe smokers. Yes, pipe smokers meet here to charge their pipes and puff away, hoping to be the one whose bowl lasts longest and score the points that will put them at the top of the table.

But it’s not just pipe smokers who meet here – the club hosts a range of meetings and activities. There’s a regular program of jazz gigs and tango and milonga classes. The movie actor Javier Bardem has been known to call in and chill out, as do a good few quite well-known writers.

It’s a cool, friendly, comfortable atmosphere to meet up with friends for a drink, a smoke and a chat.

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Pipa Club | Bars, Music | Beer € 4.00
Plaza Reial 3 | El Barrio Gotico | +34933024732
Mon – Thu 20:00 – 02:00, Fri – Sat 22:00 – 05:00; Sun 20:00 – 01:00

Feeling down and need something to raise your soul above the social mall? Or just need a break from fashion cocktails, top 40 lousy music, fancy high heels and naughty party ragers?

Whether in spring, summer, autumn or even in some good weathered winter days, at the end of Portal del Angel when going down towards the Gothic Cathedral there is a magic corner with the proper acoustic atmosphere for street musicians to perform outdoors on any season without the need of expensive sound amplifying gear.

Be ready for getting enraptured by the groove of an authentic blues singer or the captivating tunes of a world music quartet.  Well, perhaps at this time you would find musicians with heavier clothing but still… it’s a magic spot.

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Portal del angel Street | Music, Relaxing
Corner Carrer dels arcs & Carrer cucurrulla | El Barrio Gotico
From morning to late night

Even in my previous lives I don’t think I’ve ever found myself in the waiting-room of a 1950s upmarket Spanish bordello, but if I had I imagine it would look and feel a bit like Rouge (think Almodóvar).

Situated in Poble Sec just off Parallel, not far from the old music theater El Molino (Moulin Rouge – get it?), and a few doors down from Quimet i Quimet (see the Quimet i Quimet article), Rouge is a quirky lounge-bar decorated with gilt-framed copies of Mannerist, Impressionist and Old Masters’ paintings.

With its eclectic collection of comfy sofas, deep armchairs, bum-numbing stools, deep red walls and low lighting I love its louche atmosphere.

It’s a good spot for a drink or two after a gig at the nearby Apollo and before going dancing. Rouge serves food – sandwiches and tasty little bites – and a range of cocktails.

Rouge attracts an interesting crowd: fashion designers, hat makers, graphic artists, songwriters, poets and film-makers. But, perhaps contrary to expectations, it’s not pretentious at all – just a cool place to hang out with friends.

The music is a discreet, cool, layered mix of lounge groove, 90s ambient and 80s synth-pop.

Friendly staff, an interesting arrray of people, a good, lively atmosphere, in a laid-back kind of way, make this a spot to remember and re-visit time and again. It’s so good I’ll probably still be visiting Rouge in future lives.

UPDATE: I describe this spot as being like a bordello – well, now it really is! Yes, the Poetry Brothel (Prostíbulo Poético), convened by Madame Eva, meets here. Poetry brothel? Clients choose a poet and retreat to a quiet nook, perhaps behind a screen, and the poet recites intimate, often erotic, poetry.

Poetry Brothel sessions are FREE, though tips are welcome. Check out: www.poetrybrothelbarcelona.blogspot.com

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Rouge | Bars, Music, Snacks | Bottled beer € 3.00
C/Poeta Cabanyes 21 | Poble Sec | +34934424985
Tue – Wed 20:00 – 02:00; Thu – Fri 22:30 – 02:00; Sat 22:30 – 04:00

A playful atmosphere filled by Salsa, merengue, son, relish and good vibes, and friendly people.

It would be impossible to leave Shango without a new friend. Even when there is a language barrier, everyone understands the musical language.

For those with two left foots and a clumsy understanding between them and the waist, there are salsa lessons on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 23:00 to 00:00.

And if you’re in need of help to defeat shyness, they have a happy hour everyday just before: from 21:00 to 23:00!

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Shango Bar | Bars, Music | Beer € 2.50
Carrer d’En Groch 2 | El Barrio Gotico
Sun – Thu 21:00 – 02:30, Fri – Sat 21:00 – 03:00